North Philadelphia

North Philadelphia is a section of northern Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Before its incorporation into the city proper, it consisted of primarily agricultural townships, but the population growth of Philadelphia during the 18th century led to pastoral North Philadelphia becoming an attractive alternative to the burgeoning city. In 1854, North Philadelphia was annexed to Philadelphia, and it became an industrial area and a working man's town. Large factories and industrial complexes covered vast swaths of city land, and it became the second most heavily trafficked rail station in the city. However, the Great Depression, outsourcing, and white flight took their toll on North Philadelphia, with waves of poor blacks replacing the white residents after the late 1940s. By 1964, two-thirds of the city's blacks lived in North Philadelphia. Each factory's closure devastated the neighborhood, and deprivation led to a race riot in 1964, which saw 341 injuries and 774 arrests. Today, the blacks live to the west of Germantown Avenue, while Hispanics live to the east.